Abstract
Although complying with and monitoring court-mandated changes in organizations' policies following employment discrimination lawsuits can be costly to both employers and taxpayers, little is known about the impact of such mandates on increasing sex and race managerial diversity in organizations. Using data on approximately 500 high-profile employment discrimination lawsuits resolved in U.S. federal courts between 1996 and 2008, the authors estimate the impact of court-mandated policy changes on shifts in the presence of white women, black women, and black men in managerial positions. Policies designed to reduce bias expand opportunities for white women but not for other demographic groups. By contrast, opportunities in management for all groups expand when policies are designed to increase organizational accountability by establishing specific recruitment, hiring, or promotion plans and monitoring arrangements. Policies designed to increase rights' awareness are associated with declines in managerial diversity. Notably, compared with verdicts and settlements with modest penalties, those with the most costly monetary payouts do not expand managerial diversity; and in fact, they can backfire.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 42-72 |
| Number of pages | 31 |
| Journal | Industrial and Labor Relations Review |
| Volume | 70 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2017 Jan 1 |
Fingerprint
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Strategy and Management
- Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management
- Management of Technology and Innovation
Cite this
}
Mandating change : The impact of court-ordered policy changes on managerial diversity. / Hirsh, Elizabeth; Cha, Youngjoo.
In: Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Vol. 70, No. 1, 01.01.2017, p. 42-72.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Mandating change
T2 - The impact of court-ordered policy changes on managerial diversity
AU - Hirsh, Elizabeth
AU - Cha, Youngjoo
PY - 2017/1/1
Y1 - 2017/1/1
N2 - Although complying with and monitoring court-mandated changes in organizations' policies following employment discrimination lawsuits can be costly to both employers and taxpayers, little is known about the impact of such mandates on increasing sex and race managerial diversity in organizations. Using data on approximately 500 high-profile employment discrimination lawsuits resolved in U.S. federal courts between 1996 and 2008, the authors estimate the impact of court-mandated policy changes on shifts in the presence of white women, black women, and black men in managerial positions. Policies designed to reduce bias expand opportunities for white women but not for other demographic groups. By contrast, opportunities in management for all groups expand when policies are designed to increase organizational accountability by establishing specific recruitment, hiring, or promotion plans and monitoring arrangements. Policies designed to increase rights' awareness are associated with declines in managerial diversity. Notably, compared with verdicts and settlements with modest penalties, those with the most costly monetary payouts do not expand managerial diversity; and in fact, they can backfire.
AB - Although complying with and monitoring court-mandated changes in organizations' policies following employment discrimination lawsuits can be costly to both employers and taxpayers, little is known about the impact of such mandates on increasing sex and race managerial diversity in organizations. Using data on approximately 500 high-profile employment discrimination lawsuits resolved in U.S. federal courts between 1996 and 2008, the authors estimate the impact of court-mandated policy changes on shifts in the presence of white women, black women, and black men in managerial positions. Policies designed to reduce bias expand opportunities for white women but not for other demographic groups. By contrast, opportunities in management for all groups expand when policies are designed to increase organizational accountability by establishing specific recruitment, hiring, or promotion plans and monitoring arrangements. Policies designed to increase rights' awareness are associated with declines in managerial diversity. Notably, compared with verdicts and settlements with modest penalties, those with the most costly monetary payouts do not expand managerial diversity; and in fact, they can backfire.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85011325195&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85011325195&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0019793916668880
DO - 10.1177/0019793916668880
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85011325195
VL - 70
SP - 42
EP - 72
JO - ILR Review
JF - ILR Review
SN - 0019-7939
IS - 1
ER -